New Delhi, August 12
Sophia Dunkley's consistent run with the bat has seen her clinch the ICC Women's Player of the Month award for July, the first time she has won the honour.
According to ICC website, she edged out strong competition from England teammate Sophie Ecclestone and Ireland captain Gaby Lewis for the monthly award.
"I am delighted to win the ICC Player of the Month award off the back of a really hard-fought series against India," she said.
"We would have loved to have won the series but I think we'll take a lot from it moving towards the ICC Women's World Cup. India deserved their win and it was a great series to be a part of," she added.
The 27-year-old had a quiet start to the month in the second T20I against India in Bristol.
However, she bounced back in style in the next match, showcasing her class with a commanding 75 off 53 balls -- a knock that proved vital in England's narrow six-run victory.
A 19-ball 22 by Dunkley was the top score for England in the fourth T20I in Manchester, where the hosts could only manage 126.
In the final match of the series, she once again played a pivotal role -- her 46 off 30 balls guiding England to a last-ball victory.
The knock not only sealed the win but also confirmed Dunkley as England's leading run-scorer across the T20I series against India.
Dunkley's fine form carried into the ODI series as well, starting with a brilliant knock of 83 in the opening match in Southampton.
In the rain-shortened second ODI at Lord's, she remained unbeaten as England won the match.
In the third ODI, Dunkley looked in control while cruising on 34 off 36 balls, but a mix-up in the middle saw her run out, ending what could've been another impactful innings.
Across the four T20Is, Dunkley amassed 144 runs at an average of 36, striking at an impressive 134.57. Her form carried into the ODIs, where she scored 126 runs at an average of 63 and a strike rate of 91.97 - capping off a solid all-round month with the bat for the in-form England batter.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As an Indian cricket fan, it's disappointing we lost but you have to appreciate quality when you see it. Dunkley's innings in the 3rd T20 was class! Hope our Smriti Mandhana can win next month's award 🇮🇳
The way she handled our spinners was impressive. But I feel Harmanpreet Kaur should have been in contention too - her captaincy and batting were outstanding in that series!
Women's cricket is getting so exciting! More power to players like Dunkley who make the game competitive. Though I wish BCCI would promote our women's team more aggressively ðŸ
That 75-run knock was pure fire! 🔥 As someone who follows both men's and women's cricket equally, it's great to see such talent. The India-England women's matches are becoming must-watch events.
While Dunkley was brilliant, I'm more proud of how our Indian girls fought back after losing the first T20. The future is bright for women's cricket in India! 💪
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.